What's Required According to IDEA, transportation includes:
Travel to and from school and between schools
Travel in and around school buildings
Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for student with a disability
Transportation as a related service provides eligible students with disabilities access to their academic programs and certain other related services. Some students with disabilities may require a variety of supports and services that are separate from transportation available to all students, such as:
specialized or adaptive equipment for persons who require specialized positioning or seating,
a skilled nurse to conduct invasive procedures,
bus attendant to help curtail behavioral challenges,
air conditioned vehicles for persons who are sensitive to heat or prone to seizures, or
wheelchair or other mobility device accessibility.
The Texas Education Code Sections 29.001–29.005 and 42.155(b)(2) and (g) indicates that eligible special needs students are those students with a disability who require specialized transportation services to access their academic programs and certain other related services. (Specialized transportation is transportation that is provided separate from transportation for regular education students.) . An "eligible special needs student" is a special education student: (a) who is eligible under the TEC, Section 29.003, and Federal Public Law 101-476 (Part B) and 102-119 (Part H) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 and subsequent amendments, (b) who would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her special education program of instruction (including extended school year programs and community-based transitional life skills training) or developmental, corrective, and other supplementary supportive services without the provision of special transportation as a necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis, or (c) for whom the requirement for special transportation is properly documented by a duly authorized ARD/IEP Committee in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) as a required related service to be provided by the District. An "eligible other health-impaired student" is a regular or special education student: (a) who is eligible under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments, (b) who would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her academic program of instruction without the provision of special transportation as a necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis, or (c) for whom the requirement for special transportation is properly documented by the ARD/IEP Committee in the student’s IEP as a required related service to be provided by the District. .
The determination of whether or not a student qualifies for transportation services as a related service is made by the ARD/IEP Committee. Annually, the ARD/IEP Committee will consider transportation as a related service based on the following:
student is required to attend a facility (i.e., nonpublic school) other than the regular school of attendance to receive appropriate special education services
nature of the student’s disability is such that special education transportation is required
When a student is suspected of needing specialized supports such as a nurse on the bus, transportation attendant, adaptive equipment, child safety seat, or wheelchair ramp, the ARD/IEP Committee reviews the documentation supporting the need.
Before the ARD/IEP Committee convenes, persons knowledgeable in the area of the suspected need must be included in the discussions.
If the campus is aware the student has a tracheostomy, the district's nurse should be invited to the ARD/IEP Committee meeting.
The ARD/IEP Committee should resolve the following transportation issues:
Can the student be safely transported without undue risk to the student or others?
Will the length of the trip and/or other aspects of transportation put the student at unreasonable risk?
Can the student’s adaptive equipment be accommodated?
What is an appropriate restraint system?
Can the student be transferred to a bus seat from the mobility device?
Are there specialized care or intervention concerns?
What level of supervision and expertise might be required?
How will any auxiliary equipment be transported?
During the student’s annual (minimum requirement) IEP review, the student’s transportation needs should be reevaluated using the same criteria used for entrance into transportation services.
Transportation as a related service will be provided as a direct service by the bus driver or other transporter. A parent may choose to transport their child; if warranted, parents can seek reimbursement for such service. Request for Private Transportation Agreement form is completed and submitted to the Office for Special Education Services, within ten (10) days of the student's ARD/IEP committee meeting; a Special Education Department Private Reimbursement Agreement form is completed and a written agreement is made between the parent/guardian and the Houston Independent School District. The Agreement and Payment is made only to the parent/guardian signing the agreement.
The services are provided according to the provisions in the IEP and are reviewed annually to determine continued need.
Transportation safety issues are considered as part of the overall care and education of the student.
Transportation services include appropriate use of seating devices that can safely be used on a school bus.
Transportation attendants are provided as needed to assist in the safe transport of students with disabilities to and from school.
The ARD/IEP Committee, Transportation Department, or Office of Special Education Services may determine needs for specific transportation attendant services.
Assignment of transportation attendants to school buses is made by the Transportation Department. Specialized transportation may also include the additional support of service providers such as bus nurses and transportation attendants.
Transportation supports and/or services are provided to students based on individual needs.
For a student who attends a nonpublic school (i.e. contract placement, residential facility) transportation is provided by the school district if it is necessary for the student to benefit from or participate in special education services.
Special education students who do not require specialized transportation to participate in their education programs are considered regular eligible students for transportation purposes and must meet the eligibility criteria for regular eligible students. Forms
What's Required
According to IDEA, transportation includes:
Transportation as a related service provides eligible students with disabilities access to their academic programs and certain other related services. Some students with disabilities may require a variety of supports and services that are separate from transportation available to all students, such as:
- specialized or adaptive equipment for persons who require specialized positioning or seating,
- a skilled nurse to conduct invasive procedures,
- bus attendant to help curtail behavioral challenges,
- air conditioned vehicles for persons who are sensitive to heat or prone to seizures, or
- wheelchair or other mobility device accessibility.
The Texas Education Code Sections 29.001–29.005 and 42.155(b)(2) and (g) indicates that eligible special needs students are those students with a disability who require specialized transportation services to access their academic programs and certain other related services. (Specialized transportation is transportation that is provided separate from transportation for regular education students.).
An "eligible special needs student" is a special education student: (a) who is eligible under the TEC, Section 29.003, and Federal Public Law 101-476 (Part B) and 102-119 (Part H) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 and subsequent amendments, (b) who would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her special education program of instruction (including extended school year programs and community-based transitional life skills training) or developmental, corrective, and other supplementary supportive services without the provision of special transportation as a necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis, or (c) for whom the requirement for special transportation is properly documented by a duly authorized ARD/IEP Committee in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) as a required related service to be provided by the District. An "eligible other health-impaired student" is a regular or special education student: (a) who is eligible under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments, (b) who would be unable to attend school and benefit from his or her academic program of instruction without the provision of special transportation as a necessary related service, as determined on an individual (case-by-case) basis, or (c) for whom the requirement for special transportation is properly documented by the ARD/IEP Committee in the student’s IEP as a required related service to be provided by the District.
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HISD Board Policy
What We Do
Special education students who do not require specialized transportation to participate in their education programs are considered regular eligible students for transportation purposes and must meet the eligibility criteria for regular eligible students.
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